The Promise of Peace and Spiritual Rest

You’re tired—not just physically but at a deeper level. If it was just physically, you could sleep for a day and then you would be fine. But the kind of tired you feel now stretches into your soul. You sleep, but when you wake up, instead of feeling refreshed, you only want to go back to bed. But you get up anyway, and all day you feel like you’re on your last leg. Motivation and inspiration are hard to find, so without realizing when it happened, you settled into a lackluster life and find it hard to believe it will ever be any different.

Does this sound familiar?

Whatever your circumstances are right now, there is no guarantee that the physical things making you tired will change or go away. But Scripture offers hope for the weariness of your soul. In Matthew 11:28–30, Jesus says this: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Let’s look at this more closely.

The first thing to note is that Jesus says, “I will.” That is what makes this a promise. It is true and certain. We do not have to wonder whether it is possible for us to find relief—which itself is a relief! The next thing to note is that what makes this promise possible is that “[the Lord’s] burden is light.” Taking Jesus onto us, or being “clothed with Christ” like it says in Galatians 3:27, does not weigh us down. And how could it? Jesus washes away our sin. He makes it possible for us to have a relationship with God. He Himself is the embodiment of wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24), and He gives us wisdom so we can live better today than we did yesterday. Everything He does for us is uplifting.

When you find the weariness cutting through your bones and seeping down into your soul, it may be an indication that you still have more to learn about the lightness that Christ can provide for you. Maybe you have not yet realized the breadth of everything He has done for you. Or maybe you just forgot. Maybe life has gotten busy, you became distracted, and every burden you picked up has been heavy.

Whichever is true of you, resist the lie of discouragement and pursue the hope of Christ. If you have more to learn (and really, all of us do), draw closer to Jesus and ask Him to teach you. And if you already know something that you just lost sight of, turn your attention back and let God remind you of the things He has already taught you. You are eternally held by Him, and you do not have to work to fix your spirit. You can rest in knowing that He has done all the necessary work for you.

If you are interested in finding more articles like this to encourage you and help you grow in your faith, you can find a full archive on our website at experiencecc.com.